| Whenever I talk about irons in my golf | | | | with low handicappers. |
| lessons, students invariably ask which style | | | | |
| is best?cavity back or blade. The cavity back | | | | The blade iron is known as a more traditional |
| has its advantages and its disadvantages. It | | | | iron because it lacks the cavity back?s |
| also has its fans. | | | | special game improvement features. Players |
| | | | with low golf handicaps and touring pros |
| Golfers, however, shouldn?t choose an iron | | | | prefer the blade style iron because the added |
| style because it?s popular in the clubhouse, | | | | control and feel enables them to shape their |
| since the style many not fit their game. The | | | | shots better?a necessity when playing on |
| key to iron styles, as I?ve said in my golf | | | | challenging courses. |
| tips, is finding what?s right for you. | | | | |
| | | | Manufacturers make cavity backs and blades in |
| Cavity backs are popular these days?and for | | | | cast and forged versions. The terms ?cast? |
| good reason. A cavity back has a small amount | | | | and ?forged? refer to the manufacturing |
| of metal removed from the back of its | | | | process used to form the iron head?s shape. |
| clubface, producing a small hole. Removing | | | | |
| the metal re-distributes the clubhead?s | | | | Casting turns the metal from which the iron |
| weight around the edges of the clubface, | | | | head is made into a molten liquid, which is |
| father away from the center of gravity (COG). | | | | then poured into a mold to form the iron |
| | | | head. It?s then left to cool. |
| Re-positioning the COG creates a much more | | | | |
| forgiving iron, with a larger sweet spot | | | | Forging involves pounding or compressing the |
| along the blade. Thus, a mis-hit with a | | | | metal, in it?s solid form, from which the |
| cavity back is more likely to stay on target | | | | iron head is made into the desired shape. |
| than a similar shot with a blade. Why? | | | | Other machining and drilling steps complete |
| Because the cavity back twists less in a | | | | production. |
| player?s hand when the ball is mis-hit. A | | | | |
| mis-hit with a cavity back is also more | | | | The manufacturing process has no impact on |
| likely to travel farther than with a blade. | | | | the iron?s capabilities, as I?ve explained in |
| | | | previous golf tips. If you have two irons, |
| Cavity backs are ?game improvement?? clubs, | | | | one forged and one cast, of exactly the same |
| offering special features that help golfers | | | | shape, with the same center of gravity, same |
| play better, like an oversize head. I?ve | | | | loft, same grip, hitting the same ball, and |
| talked about these clubs in my golf tips. | | | | so on, the shots will travel the same |
| Players with high and mid golf handicaps | | | | distances 99 percent of the time. And the |
| prefer cavity backs, although some low | | | | players won?t know which iron head is cast |
| handicappers and touring pros use them. | | | | and which forged. |
| | | | |
| Blade irons are not as popular as cavity | | | | You need to find the iron style that best |
| backs. A blade iron features a solid clubface | | | | fits your game, as I point out in my golf |
| back, distributing the weight more evenly | | | | instruction. If you?re a less experienced |
| across the clubface, closer to the clubhead?s | | | | golfer, the cavity back is probably a wiser |
| COG. Thus, a blade has a much smaller sweet | | | | choice, since you?re more likely to mis-hit a |
| spot than a cavity back. A blade is also much | | | | ball. If you?re a more experienced player, |
| less forgiving than a cavity back because it | | | | then a blade is probably your best choice, |
| twists more in a player?s hands on mis-hits. | | | | since it provides more control and better |
| | | | feel for shaping shots. |
| Distributing the weight evenly across the | | | | |
| clubface, however, creates an iron with | | | | The best way of choosing a style that fits |
| better control and more feel. These irons | | | | your needs is to test it out. Hit a few balls |
| need to be hit nearly perfectly, though, to | | | | with each style. If one style feels better |
| avoid a bad shot. Thus, it takes a lot of | | | | than another does, and you have confidence in |
| practice and experience to hit these irons | | | | it, that?s the style that?s right for you. |
| well, something I work on in my golf lessons | | | | |